Greyhound Class Action Lawsuit Says Border Patrol Searches are Illegal

A California woman has filed a class action lawsuit against Greyhound alleging the long-distance bus line allows U.S. customs officials to conduct immigration raids – targeting Latino riders.

Lead plaintiff Rocio Cordova claims in the Greyhound class action lawsuit that the bus company works with Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) agents to essentially trap Latino riders on busses, while the agents search without warrants.

The company also allows CBP to use private Greyhound facilities to interrogate passengers further, the Greyhound class action lawsuit states.

Greyhound engages in illegal racial profiling, according to the class action lawsuit, because most of the customers subject to the searches are Latino. Further, Cordova says those often detained and questioned by CBP agents are non-white customers, while white customers are left alone.

The Greyhound class action lawsuit alleges that while Cordova, who is a U.S. citizen, was traveling by Greyhound bus from San Diego to Phoenix, her bus was pulled over by CBP officials while on the highway.

She says that agents were allowed to board the bus and interrogate riders – one passenger, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipient, was allegedly questioned by agents for half an hour.

“Greyhound’s policy of voluntarily opening its bus doors to law enforcement officers to intimidate customers based on the color of their skin is not just offensive; it is unlawful. It needs to stop now,” the attorney representing the plaintiff and proposed Class in the Greyhound class action lawsuit told The Washington Post.

Indeed, recent videos of alleged CPB raids – one showing a pre-teen from Trinidad being arrested and another video of a Jamaican grandmother being detained – have raised the ire of the public and some elected representatives.

In fact, alleges the Greyhound class action lawsuit, Congress has turned an eye to the issue with 23 members sending a letter to Greyhound warning the company about “racial profiling” and “harassment.”

“According to Greyhound’s website, the company prides itself on ‘providing safe, enjoyable and affordable travel to nearly 18 million passengers each year in the United States and Canada,’” states the letter cited in the Greyhound class action lawsuit. “We do not see how this mission comports with authorizing dragnet CBP searches of Greyhound’s passengers.”

Greyhound reportedly contends that it will take an act of Congress to stop CBP from conducting raids on its busses. The company reportedly claims that it does not work with or allow CBP agents to board the busses but cannot stop them without endangering their passengers.

“Greyhound does not coordinate with CBP, nor do we support these actions,” a statement issued by the company in response to the allegations reads. “That is why we are calling on Congress to change the law and will support positive efforts to do so.”

According to the Greyhound class action lawsuit, by allowing the CBP raids, the company is in violation of California civil rights laws and the plaintiff is seeking a court order stopping Greyhound from allowing the raids.

The lead plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Darren J. Robbins of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd.

The Greyhound Border Patrol Searches Class Action Lawsuit is Rocio Cordova v. Greyhound Lines, Case No. unknown, in Alameda County Court, California.